Geography

Eritrea was formerly the northernmost province
of Ethiopia and is about the size of Indiana. Much of the country is
mountainous. Its narrow Red Sea coastal plain is one of the hottest and
driest places in Africa. The cooler central highlands have fertile valleys
that support agriculture. Eritrea is bordered by the Sudan on the north
and west, the Red Sea on the north and east, and Ethiopia and Djibouti on
the south.

Government

A transitional government committed to a
democratic system.

History

Eritrea was part of the first Ethiopian kingdom
of Aksum until its decline in the 8th century. It came under the control
of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, and later of the Egyptians. The
Italians captured the coastal areas in 1885, and the Treaty of Uccialli
(May 2, 1889) gave Italy sovereignty over part of Eritrea. The Italians
named their colony after the Roman name for the Red Sea,
Mare
Erythraeum,
and ruled there until World War II. The British captured
Eritrea in 1941 and later administered it as a UN Trust Territory until it
became federated with Ethiopia on Sept. 15, 1952. Eritrea was made an
Ethiopian province on Nov. 14, 1962. A civil war broke out against the
Ethiopian government, led by rebel groups who opposed the union and wanted
independence for Eritrea. Fighting continued over the next 32 years.